


Selective History and Nocturnal Discourse

by tobiasandjane



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Extra Soft Jeff, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Soft Britta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28277973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobiasandjane/pseuds/tobiasandjane
Summary: Her mind wanders off to where he could be at this hour.Is he catching up on work? Doubtful. Ironically watching reruns of Planet Earth? Possibly. Secretly raiding the liquor cabinet without her? Bastard.orWhere Britta finds Jeff at two in the morning.
Relationships: Britta Perry/Jeff Winger
Comments: 16
Kudos: 34





	Selective History and Nocturnal Discourse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [august_seven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/august_seven/gifts).



> My first foray into writing fanfiction because this idea has not left me since watching Season 1, so I gave it a shot. 
> 
> For A who got me into Community, fanfiction, and Community fanfiction, now I'm obsessed with this pairing. <3
> 
> Surprise! I mentally compiled everything you wanted in a Jeff/Britta fic and came up with this. Get well soon and I hope you find the inspiration to write again. ❤

* * *

Britta wakes up in the middle of the night.

The dull pounding in her head is relentless. She'd like to think that she had gotten better at nursing hangovers since working at The Vatican. Except she's stone-cold sober this time, not having had a drink in months. She grumbles and proceeds to massage her temples. Many a sleepless night will do that to you. 

She instinctively reaches for the other side of the bed and realizes that its usual occupant is nowhere in sight. She crashes her face onto the pillow, taking in its familiar scent in place of the real thing. Her mind wanders off to where he could be at this hour. 

Is he catching up on work?

Doubtful.

Ironically watching reruns of Planet Earth?

Possibly.

Secretly raiding the liquor cabinet without her?

Bastard.

After shaking off the initial lethargy, she manages to get herself up. She throws on the robe hanging on the armchair, burying her hands deep in its oversized pockets, bare feet padding on the hardwood floor.

Britta makes a split-second decision to head downstairs to look for Jeff and catch him in the act. She's firm on her gameplan until she passes by the door of the other room and stops. Britta knows full well she can't resist taking a look. She puts her scheme aside and peeks at the slightly parted door. 

The mystery of Jeff's whereabouts is answered when Britta finds him passed out on the rocker with a newborn nestled on his chest.

Britta conceals herself from view, retreating behind the door, biting her lip at the heartfelt sight before her. 

It's peaceful for the most part, she would watch them all night if she could. That is until the infant starts whimpering and clenching her fists, rousing Jeff from his sleep. She lets out a small cry and he takes this as a signal to feed her.

Jeff doesn't miss a beat and grabs the bottle from the side table, bringing it to their daughter's lips. Her whines cease as soon as she's given her milk. 

"I got your dinner right here, honey. Wouldn't want to wake Mommy up, she gets real snappy when she doesn't get her sleep."

The baby looks up at her father as she continues to drink. A smile tugs at the corner of Jeff's mouth and he strokes their daughter's cheek.

"You're ridiculously cute, Inez, and I think you know it. Thank god you look like your mom. The last thing you want is to inherit your old man's forehead. That would _not_ be a good look on you." 

The infant slaps his finger away with her chubby hand as if she's offended by her father's statement. Britta stifles a giggle at their daughter's reaction.

"Hey now, don't get me wrong. Daddy is very handsome too and charming to a fault. That's how I won Mommy over." Jeff gloats, making Britta roll her eyes. 

"But even if you didn't, I'd still think that you're the prettiest girl around." He adds. "I guess I just love that when I look at you, I see a whole lot of your mom, and it makes you all the more perfect, sweetheart."

Inez lets out a soft grunt in response and Jeff smooths the small tuft of blond hair with his palm. The size difference between their daughter's head and his hand is comical, but it's nothing short of precious in her eyes. Britta absentmindedly puts a hand over her heart as she watches the scene unfold.

Was it uncharacteristic for Jeff? Maybe to those who knew him on a surface level. Not to her, though. She knew him better than anyone and had seen every side of him. The good, the bad, the tough, and the vulnerable.

"Of course perfection is a social construct that society drills in you, Mommy will be the first to let you know that. But that pretty little face of yours is gonna be a problem when you get older, 'cause then I'd have to scare off the jerks that think they're good enough for you, princess." He explains in all seriousness. 

Leave it to Jeff Winger to be the overprotective father, shielding his daughter from potential suitors who reminded him of his younger self.

He would have been protective either way, but something about him being so cautious with their little girl made it that much more endearing.

Britta had been adamant about raising a headstrong, self-reliant child, not wanting to feed into the narrative of a daughter constantly needing her daddy. She kissed that plan goodbye the moment Jeff teared up holding Inez for the first time, telling their hour old baby she was his whole world.

"I know I should tell you to look for a good person who'll say and do all the right things, but I was never that guy in the first place." He confesses. "When I met your mom, my only mission was to get in her pants."

Britta inwardly groans when she remembers their first encounter. 

"I know. Your dad was a huge d-bag back then, but it was _so_ hard to not be attracted to her." Jeff says in mock exasperation.

Now it's Britta's turn to put on a smug look. 

"She was gorgeous, feisty, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Heck, I made up a Spanish study group just to convince her to give me the time of day." He chuckles, shaking his head at the memory. 

"While that plan didn't go over so well, it did bring me to a crazy bunch of people who gave me a sense of family. I never would have gotten all that if it weren't for your mom, though." Jeff smirks at the mention of her and Britta doesn't even try to suppress her grin. 

"She's really something else. At first she came off all cool and a little scary, then I got to know her better and that guard went down. Turns out, she was the biggest goofball with an even bigger heart. Your mom cares so much about everyone, even if she shows it in a weird way."

Britta wrinkles her nose at his compliment, touched and partly irked by it.

"There was a time when I got kicked out of my old place and I was at rock bottom. I lived like a frat boy with your Uncle Abed for a while, can you imagine? But she wouldn't have it. She broke into my condo and stole these artisan-crafted faucets, the same ones in our bathroom, just so I would pick myself up again. Only your mother would do that, Inez."

Her lips curve upward as she fondly recalls that early memory of them. She didn't expect it to stick with Jeff, thinking any good friend would do something to that degree, but it was clear that it meant something to him. Meaningful enough for Jeff to share it with their daughter.

"I'd only known her for a little over a month and to anyone else, they would think that she was psycho, but I knew she only had the best intentions. It was the first time I felt that there was someone who'd do something for me, not because of an ulterior motive, but because they genuinely cared."

Britta lets out a contented sigh thinking of how far he'd come since then. The Jeff Winger she met all those years ago manipulated people for his gain, a far cry from the attentive father before her.

"Someday you might meet Mister Right, or _Miss_ Right if you ever play for your Aunt Annie's team." He says with an approving tone. 

"Or maybe you'll meet someone who's a real piece of work but loves you enough to listen to what you have to say and grow as a person so they could be the right one for you. And they'll try their hardest every day to become someone they don't hate." He continues.

"I didn't think it was possible, Nezi. I thought I hit my peak during my time as a sleazy lawyer and I was determined to go back to that when I got disbarred. A few good people took a chance on me and I realized I didn't want to be that guy anymore. I didn't always make the right decisions, nor was I a good friend to them in every circumstance, but they stayed and I'd like to think I'm a kinder person because of it."

Inez lets out a squeaking sound, eliciting a quiet laugh from Jeff. 

"Daddy's turning into a real sap, huh? Yeah, I always thought it was silly when parents talk to their babies like this because the kids don't really have a clue what they're rambling about. Jokes on me though, because here we are at 2 AM and I pretty much just told you your origin story." Jeff visibly winces at the reference. 

"God, I sound like your Uncle Abed right now. He's a huge nerd, but we love him. He's going to teach you all there is to know about TV and pop culture. You'll never lose at trivia night thanks to him." He promises.

"He and Uncle Troy are going to take you to your first movie and Aunt Annie will plan all your birthdays. Maybe we'll even let you go to church with Aunt Shirley once she figures out a way to convince Mommy." He jokes to the heavy-eyed newborn. 

"We have so many people who care about us, Nez. We have a big family that loves you." He assures their daughter.

Britta feels a flutter in her heart at the mention of their favorite people. The same people they'd trust their daughter with, no matter how kooky, and unconventional their ways may be. 

"We'll need all the help we can get, because the truth is, sweetheart," Jeff's voice breaks. "I don't know how to be a dad."

Britta's chest tightens, hot tears begin pricking her eyes. She quickly wipes them away before they spill onto her face.

This was the man who acted aloof and distant all his life to mask his trauma and insecurities. The man who joked about one-upping his father once he had a child of his own, but secretly feared he'd turn out the same.

Instead, Jeff tirelessly doted on her and adored their daughter so immensely even before she was born. She knew in her heart that Jeff was a great father in every sense, he just had trouble believing it most days. 

It takes everything in her to not run and take him in her arms, and tell him that it's okay that he's clueless because she is too. Hell, she doesn't know the first thing about being a mother either. 

Her mind flashes back to a few months ago when Jeff found her curled up in bed silently weeping. Jeff laid next to her, took her hand, and offered his wordless comfort. Jeff had been known for his uncanny ability to give oddly fitting speeches during the most opportune of times, but she found that the silence between them brought her solace. It provided her with the quiet strength she needed to find her voice again.

"I can't do this." She finally choked out. "We're going to ruin this kid, Jeff. This baby is going to hate us."

Jeff didn't answer back, merely squeezing her hand to respond. She was expecting him to tell her that she was wrong and wax poetic about how fantastic a mother she would be to ease her mind. It took a good while before Jeff broke his silence. 

"Me neither," he said in a low voice."I'm fucking scared too."

To her surprise, he wasn't quick to dismiss her anxieties but affirmed them instead. 

"Yeah she'll probably curse us at some point, but I hope she doesn't hate us _t_ _hat_ much," He reaches to rub her rounded stomach. "I don't mind, though. I love our little chickpea too much already. Like an _insane_ amount. That alone is going to drive her nuts and hate me even more."

She let out a breathy chuckle, moving her hand on top of his. Britta sniffled, replaying his words in her head before turning her gaze to him.

" _She?_ You think we're having a girl?"

He shrugged, cupping the side of her face. 

"I hope so. Why wouldn't I want a teeny-tiny version of my favorite person?" 

Tears welled in her eyes again. He wiped the corners of her eyes with his thumb and closed the gap between them, brushing his lips ever so softly against hers.

"I'm not certain of anything, Britta. I just know that we'll make it work." He promised. "We always do." 

"I didn't exactly have anyone to look up to in the fatherhood department. I'm honestly terrified of making the wrong choices and have you resent me for my poor judgment later on." He swallows thickly. 

"I really don't know what I'm doing, Nezi, but I'm sure as hell going to try." He promises earnestly as Britta holds back a sob. 

"Don't tell Mommy or Aunt Shirley, but I'm starting to believe that there really is a god. How else would anyone explain how a mess like me finally got his act together and ended up with the most incredible hurricane of a woman?" 

She breathes in a sharp intake of air, smiling through her tears.

"Sure, she wasn't perfect. Your mom still had parts of herself to work on, but she showed me that I could be a significantly better version of myself, too. I just had to try."

Jeff believed in her just as much as she did him. He didn't have to say it loud. She felt it in every look, every touch, every argument, and every kiss. Even when they argued, she knew that he was on her side, leading her to assume that he'd only pick fights just to get her worked up.

Hearing him speak to their daughter about her with such awe and reverence moved her to tears. 

They weren't an ideal couple, everyone knew that. Even they knew that, but he was her person. Despite everything she stood for, Jeff was the only one she saw herself settling down and building a life with.

"She broke me out of the shell of my old self, constantly pushing me to do the right thing. And with the people we surrounded ourselves with, it wasn't so hard anymore." Jeff says with renewed gladness in his voice. 

The baby unlatches, turning her head sideways. Jeff sets aside the empty bottle and brings his daughter close to his face. 

"Now you're here, sweetheart. Our family's complete."

Jeff drops a kiss to her nose and leans his forehead against hers. Inez sticks her tongue out and lets out a yawn. Jeff smirks taking the cloth from the armrest, draping it on his shoulder. He lifts their daughter up to his shoulder, patting her back lightly.

Britta decides to finally make her presence known. She cautiously makes her way inside and places her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Daddio."

Jeff is somewhat jolted by Britta's sudden arrival but keeps still so as not to unsettle the baby.

A breathy laugh escapes her, realizing that he had been so caught up in their own little bubble that everything around him just faded away. 

"Hey Mama, what are you doing up? I've got it covered. She just finished a bottle and I'm trying to get her to burp."

Britta presses a kiss to the side of Inez's face, watching as their little one slowly drifts off to dreamland.

Inez lets out a small, but hearty belch, earning quiet cheers from her parents. Jeff lays her down in his arms to face them. Her face crumples as she gurgles and kicks her feet. 

"Look at her making a sour face." Britta snorts, looking over Jeff's shoulder. "Were we too loud, honey?" She coos, letting Inez grasp her finger.

"That's all you, Britts. You're like a toddler on the verge of a meltdown when you make that face," He taunts. 

"Better than _your_ pointy face." She teases back.

Jeff lifts Inez again, giving her a loud smooch on the cheek before standing up to carefully put her down in the crib. 

"You're a natural at this. You don't give yourself enough credit for that." She tells him, squeezing his arm assuringly.

He turns to Britta with an affectionate expression.

"Thank you," Britta smirks and glances down at their daughter.

"It's true though. You're nailing this night feeding gig. See? She's almost asleep again." Jeff responds with a soft chuckle.

"No, not just that. Everything else."

Britta looks up at him, open and sincere.

"Thank you for getting me through all those years at Greendale, for helping me deal with my issues and come to terms with myself, for sticking by me even when I was a stubborn, grade-A pain in the ass." Her face breaks into a huge grin.

"My, you've got a way with words. Is that what you've been telling our daughter?" Britta remarks sarcastically.

Jeff smiles warmly, sliding his arm around her shoulders. 

"And thank you for not giving up on me, because now we have this." 

He motions to Inez, her bow-shaped lips parted slightly, eyelids fluttering in her sleep. Jeff turns to her again.

"I don't know how Jeff and Britta are doing in all those other timelines, but I love the one we're in. It's not perfect by any means," 

"It's really not." She playfully interjects.

"I know, but I'm happy," Jeff admits, his hand finds its way to the small of her back and brings her closer to him.

"For the longest time, I thought this wasn't meant for me, that I wasn't cut out to be a partner or a father. Now I can't imagine a life without you two in it."

Britta mirrors his misty-eyed looks and nods, letting herself fall into him as he wraps himself around her. 

"Me too. I love our life, I love our daughter." She says, gripping him tightly, finding comfort in his warmth. "And I love you." 

Jeff strokes her hair then puts a hand under her chin to face him. 

"Getting her here was a challenge, but you were a rockstar for powering through. Thank you, Britta. I have everything I need right here and everything I didn't know I wanted. I know what joy feels like now and I'm just bursting with it. I love you." 

He lowers himself to pull her in and she tenderly holds the sides of his face. They lean in to share a deep kiss, brimming with gratitude for each other and the life they now share. They revel in each other's embrace, their breaths subconsciously in sync with the other. Their lips meet once more before pulling apart. 

"You're right, you know? Perfection doesn't exist," she begins, winding her arm around Jeff's, burrowing into his side. She reaches inside the crib to caress Inez's cherubic face.

"But this," 

Britta looks fondly at their daughter then to Jeff, the little family they've created, and flashes him a watery smile. 

"It's pretty damn close."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for any grammatical errors. It's unbeta'd and English isn't my first language. Hope you liked it and let me know what you think!
> 
> Happy holidays! 🎄✨


End file.
